IP Library Granted Patent US 7,167,771
Granted Patent B2
US 7,167,771 · App. 10/938,818 · Granted Jan 23, 2007

Spectacle lens manufacturing system, method of manufacturing spectacle lens, program and recording medium therefor

Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,167,771
App. No.
10/938,818
Granted
Jan 23, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

To provide a spectacle lens manufacturing system and a method of manufacturing a spectacle lens, as well as a program and a recording medium therefor, that can meet various demands for marking and by which customers can confirm the outer appearance or the like of the spectacle lens. In a spectacle lens manufacturing system, after acquiring mark information and lens information with a terminal, these mark information and lens information are output to a calculation server, and a determination unit of the calculation server determines whether or not marking is possible. If the determination unit determines that it is possible to mark, it is judged whether or not a spectacle lens is manufactured based on a simulation image of the spectacle lens displayed on an image display unit of the terminal, and if it is determined to manufacture the spectacle lens, a processing information-generating unit of the calculation server generates processing information for the spectacle lens.

Claims (58)

1. A spectacle lens manufacturing system, for manufacturing a spectacle lens in which a mark is formed, comprising:

a mark information-acquiring unit adapted to acquire mark information, including shape information of a mark to be formed in the interior of the spectacle lens;

a lens information-acquiring unit adapted to acquire lens information, including outer shape information and optical property information relating to the spectacle lens;

a determination unit adapted to make a possibility determination as to whether the marking of the spectacle lens with the mark is possible, based on the mark information and the lens information;

an image generation unit adapted to generate an image simulating the spectacle lens, having the mark, on the basis of the mark information and the lens information, in accordance with the possibility determination, for display on an image display unit;

a permission/denial selection unit adapted to urge a permission/denial selection regarding manufacturing the spectacle lens in accordance with the mark information and the lens information;

a processing information-generating unit adapted to generate processing information for the spectacle lens based on the mark information and the lens information in accordance with the permission/denial selection;

a storage unit storing mark information for a plurality of marks, wherein the mark information-acquiring unit acquires the mark information from the storage unit; and

a mark information-generating unit adapted to generate the mark information, wherein the mark information acquired by the information-acquiring unit comprises the mark information generated by the mark information-generating unit.

2. The spectacle lens manufacturing system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a terminal, adapted for installation in a retail store, and intended to facilitate selling the spectacle lens; and

a server capable of communicating data with the terminal;

wherein:

the terminal includes one or more of the mark information-acquiring unit, the lens information-acquiring unit, the image generation unit, and the permission/denial selection unit; and

the server includes one or more of the determination unit and the processing information-generating unit.

3. The spectacle lens manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the mark to be formed in the interior of the spectacle lens is a visible, representative sign or symbol engraved in the interior of the spectacle lens.

4. The spectacle lens manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the mark to be formed in the interior of the spectacle lens comprises a pattern to be engraved into the spectacle lens.

5. The spectacle lens manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the mark information-acquiring unit is adapted to acquire the mark information from a user selecting from at least two marks selected from the storage unit and the mark information-generation unit.

6. The spectacle lens manufacturing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a frame information acquiring unit adapted to acquire frame information comprising shape information of the frame into which the spectacle lens is to be fitted, and wherein the determination unit is adapted to make the possibility determination based on the mark information, the lens information, and the frame information.

7. The spectacle lens manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit is adapted to determine whether the mark to be formed on the interior of the spectacle lens will obstruct a vision of view of the spectacle lens.

8. The spectacle lens manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the determination unit determines that the spectacle lens with the mark is possible, the permission/denial selection unit is adapted to request from a user a permission/denial selection regarding the manufacturing of the spectacle lens.

9. The spectacle lens manufacturing system according to claim 1 , the image generation unit adapted to generate an image depicting the spectacle lens with the mark and a field of view that will be observed through the spectacle lens with the mark.

10. A spectacle lens manufacturing method, for manufacturing a spectacle lens in which a mark is formed, comprising:

acquiring mark information, including shape information of a mark to be formed in the interior of the spectacle lens;

acquiring lens information, including outer shape information and optical property information relating to the spectacle lens;

making a possibility determination as to whether the marking of the spectacle lens with the mark is possible, based on the mark information and the lens information;

generating an image for display on an image display unit, simulating the spectacle lens having the mark, on the basis of the mark information and the lens information, in accordance with the possibility determination;

urging a permission/denial selection regarding manufacturing the spectacle lens in accordance with the mark information and the lens information; and

generating processing information for the spectacle lens, based on the mark information and the lens information, in accordance with the permission/denial selection,

on a terminal in a retail setting, performing one or more of the acquiring of the mark information, the acquiring of the lens information, the generating of the image, and the obtaining of the permission/denial selection;

on a server in communication with the terminal, performing one or more of the making of the possibility determination and the generating of the processing information;

storing the mark information for a plurality of marks, wherein the acquired mark information comprises the stored mark information of the plurality of marks; and

generating the mark information, wherein the acquired mark information further comprises the generated mark information.

11. The spectacle lens manufacturing method according to claim 10 , wherein said generating the mark information is in response to a mark selection indication; and the acquiring of the mark information comprises acquiring, as the mark information, the information generated in response to the mark selection indication.

12. A computer program product, for enabling a computer system to perform operations implementing a spectacle lens manufacturing method, comprising:

a computer readable medium, and

computer instructions on the computer readable medium;

wherein the operations comprise:

acquiring mark information, including shape information of a mark to be formed in the interior of the spectacle lens;

acquiring lens information, including outer shape information and optical property information relating to the spectacle lens;

making a possibility determination as to whether the marking of the spectacle lens with the mark is possible, based on the mark information and the lens information;

generating an image for display on an image display unit, simulating the spectacle lens having the mark, on the basis of the mark information and the lens information, in accordance with the possibility determination;

urging a permission/denial selection regarding manufacturing the spectacle lens in accordance with the mark information and the lens information;

generating processing information for the spectacle lens, based on the mark information and the lens information, in accordance with the permission/denial selection,

storing the mark information for a plurality of marks, wherein said acquired mark information comprises the stored mark information for the plurality of marks; and

generating the mark information, wherein said acquired mark information further comprises the generated mark information.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12 , wherein said generating the mark information is in response to a mark selection indication; and the acquiring of the mark information comprises acquiring, as the mark information, the information generated in response to the mark selection indication.

14. A spectacle lens manufacturing system, for manufacturing a spectacle lens in which a mark is formed, comprising:

mark information-acquiring means for acquiring mark information, including shape information of a mark to be formed in the interior of the spectacle lens;

lens information-acquiring means for acquiring lens information, including outer shape information and optical property information relating to the spectacle lens;

determination means for making a possibility determination as to whether the marking of the spectacle lens with the mark is possible, based on the mark information and the lens information;

image generating means for generating an image for display on an image display unit, simulating the spectacle lens having the mark, on the basis of the mark information and the lens information, in accordance with the possibility determination;

permission/denial selection means for urging a permission/denial selection regarding manufacturing the spectacle lens in accordance with the mark information and the lens information;

processing information-generating means for generating processing information for the spectacle lens, based on the mark information and the lens information, in accordance with the permission/denial selection;

storage means for storing the mark information for a plurality of marks, wherein the mark information-acquiring means acquires the mark information from the storage means; and

a mark information-generating means for generating the mark information, wherein the mark information acquired by the information-acquiring means comprises the mark information generated by the mark information-generating means.

15. The spectacle lens manufacturing system according to claim 14 , wherein the mark information-generating means generates the mark information in response to a mark selection indication; and

the mark information-acquiring means performs the acquiring of the mark information by acquiring, as the mark information, the information generated in response to the mark selection indication.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2013
From: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
To: HOYA LENS MANUFACTURING PHILIPPINES INC.
Reel/Frame 030822/0408 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2004
From: ITO, AYUMU
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 015801/0479 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2003-320998 · Sep 12, 2003 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20050073650A1 · Apr 7, 2005